Progressive Muscle Relaxation

What is progressive muscle relaxation?

Progressive muscle relaxation, or PMR, relaxes the body one muscle group at a time. You tense a group of muscles on purpose, hold for a few seconds, then let go and notice the difference between tight and loose. With practice, people get better at noticing tension early and letting it go.

The method comes from Edmund Jacobson, an American physician who developed it in the 1920s and published it in his 1929 book Progressive Relaxation. His original program was long and slow. Later clinicians shortened it: Joseph Wolpe used a brief form in his treatment of phobias, and Douglas Bernstein and Thomas Borkovec wrote a widely used training manual in 1973. The script on this page follows the same tense-and-release pattern, in our own words.

How the guided session works

• Three versions. Short (about 4 minutes, 7 muscle groups), long (about 11 minutes, 14 groups) and kids (about 3 minutes, 7 playful steps).
• Cues on screen. Each group has three parts: get ready, tense, and let go. A circle tightens and loosens with you, a body outline shows where to focus, and a countdown shows how long is left.
• Soft tones. A bright tone marks each squeeze and a lower one marks each release, so the eyes can stay closed.
• Spoken voice. Turn it on and your device reads the script aloud. It only ever reads the lines printed on this page.
• Before and after. Rate how tense your body feels from 0 to 10, then print or copy a small card for a practice log.

Progressive muscle relaxation script

This is the long version, about 11 minutes. Read it slowly, in a calm voice. Hold each squeeze for about 7 seconds and leave about 30 seconds of quiet after each release.

Before you begin. Find a comfortable position, sitting or lying down. Close your eyes if that feels okay, or rest them on one spot. You will tense one group of muscles at a time, hold it, then let go. Tense firmly, but never to the point of pain. Take a slow breath in, and a long breath out.

1. Right hand and forearm. Bring your attention to your right hand. Make a tight fist with your right hand. Squeeze, and hold. (About 7 seconds.) Now let go. Let your fingers fall open and loose. (About 30 seconds.)
2. Right upper arm. Now your right upper arm. Bend your right elbow and tighten the muscle at the front of your arm. Hold. (About 7 seconds.) And release. Let your arm drop and rest. (About 30 seconds.)
3. Left hand and forearm. Move your attention to your left hand. Make a tight fist with your left hand. Squeeze, and hold. (About 7 seconds.) Let go. Let your fingers uncurl and soften. (About 30 seconds.)
4. Left upper arm. Now your left upper arm. Bend your left elbow and tighten the muscle at the front of your arm. Hold. (About 7 seconds.) And release. Let the arm grow heavy and still. (About 30 seconds.)
5. Forehead. Bring your attention up to your forehead. Raise your eyebrows as high as they go, so your forehead wrinkles. Hold. (About 7 seconds.) Let your eyebrows fall. Feel your forehead go smooth. (About 30 seconds.)
6. Eyes and nose. Now your eyes and the middle of your face. Squeeze your eyes shut and scrunch up your nose. Hold. (About 7 seconds.) Release. Let your eyelids rest lightly, and your cheeks go soft. (About 30 seconds.)
7. Jaw and mouth. Now your jaw. Press your lips together and gently clench your back teeth. Hold. (About 7 seconds.) Let go. Let your teeth part a little and your jaw hang loose. (About 30 seconds.)
8. Neck. Bring your attention to your neck. Go gently here. Slowly tuck your chin toward your chest until you feel the back of your neck tighten. Hold. (About 7 seconds.) Lift your head back to resting. Let your neck soften. (About 30 seconds.)
9. Shoulders. Now your shoulders. Lift both shoulders up toward your ears. Higher. Hold. (About 7 seconds.) Let them drop. Feel them settle down and away from your ears. (About 30 seconds.)
10. Upper back and chest. Now your upper back and chest. Pull your shoulder blades back and together, and take a deep breath in. Hold. (About 7 seconds.) Breathe out slowly and let your back and chest soften. (About 30 seconds.)
11. Stomach. Bring your attention to your stomach. Tighten your stomach muscles, as if bracing for a light push. Hold. (About 7 seconds.) Release. Let your belly soften and rise and fall with your breath. (About 30 seconds.)
12. Hips and thighs. Now your hips and thighs. Press your knees together and tighten your thighs and seat. Hold. (About 7 seconds.) Let go. Let your legs grow heavy and supported. (About 30 seconds.)
13. Lower legs. Now your lower legs. Point your toes away from you, so your calves tighten. Hold. (About 7 seconds.) Release. Let your feet go back to resting, and your calves loosen. (About 30 seconds.)
14. Feet. And last, your feet. Curl your toes down, as if gripping the floor. Hold. (About 7 seconds.) Let go. Let your toes spread and your feet rest. (About 30 seconds.)

During each pause, you can add one of these lines:

• Notice the difference between tight and loose.
• Let the muscles keep softening, a little more with each breath out.
• Breathe slowly. There is nothing you need to do right now.
• Notice any warmth, heaviness or tingling as the muscles let go.
• If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to this part of your body.

To finish. That is every muscle group. Notice your whole body now, from your head down to your feet. If any spot still feels tight, let it soften a little more as you breathe out. When you are ready, wiggle your fingers and toes, and open your eyes.

Short progressive muscle relaxation script

About 4 minutes, with 7 larger muscle groups. Hold each squeeze for about 5 seconds and relax for about 20. Start and finish as in the long version.

1. Hands and arms. Bring your attention to your hands and arms. Make two tight fists and bend your elbows, tightening both arms. Hold. Now let go. Let your hands open and your arms rest.
2. Face. Now your face. Scrunch your whole face: eyes shut, nose wrinkled, lips pressed together. Hold. Release. Let your forehead, eyes and jaw go smooth and loose.
3. Neck and shoulders. Now your neck and shoulders. Lift your shoulders up toward your ears, and feel your neck tighten. Hold. Let them drop. Feel your neck lengthen and your shoulders settle.
4. Chest and upper back. Now your chest and upper back. Pull your shoulder blades back and together, and take a deep breath in. Hold. Breathe out slowly and let your chest and back soften.
5. Stomach. Bring your attention to your stomach. Tighten your stomach muscles. Hold. Release, and let your breath move your belly gently.
6. Legs. Now your legs. Straighten your legs, point your toes away from you, and tighten your thighs and calves. Hold. Let go. Let your legs grow heavy and still.
7. Feet. And last, your feet. Curl your toes down, as if gripping the floor. Hold. Let go. Let your toes spread and your feet rest.

Progressive muscle relaxation script for kids

About 3 minutes. Our kids version uses its own pictures: snowballs, superhero arms, a drum, a robot and a sock. Hold each squeeze for about 5 seconds, then give about 12 seconds to be floppy.

Start. Let's play a game called squeeze and let go. Get comfy, sitting or lying down. When I say squeeze, squeeze tight, but not so tight that it hurts. When I say let go, let your body go floppy.

1. Hands. Pretend you are holding a snowball in each hand. Squeeze them into hard, icy balls. Squeeze! Now drop the snowballs. Let your hands go loose and warm.
2. Arms. Now let's be superheroes. Bend your arms and make big, strong superhero muscles. Hold them! Now let your arms flop down, floppy like a rag doll.
3. Shoulders. Now your shoulders. Lift them way up high, like you are saying, I don't know! Hold! Now let them drop all the way down. Ahh.
4. Face. Now your face. Scrunch it up tight, like you just smelled very stinky socks. Scrunch! Now let your face go smooth and sleepy.
5. Tummy. Now your tummy. Make your tummy hard and tight, like the top of a drum. Hold! Now let it go soft, like a pillow.
6. Legs. Now your legs. Stretch them out straight and stiff, like a robot. Stiff! Now let them go wobbly, like jelly.
7. Toes. Last one: your toes. Curl them up tight, like you are trying to pick up a sock with your feet. Curl! Drop the sock. Wiggle your toes, then let them rest.

Finish. You did it! Your whole body squeezed and let go. Notice how your body feels now. Floppy? Calm? Sleepy? Take one big, slow breath in, and let it out.

Using progressive muscle relaxation in therapy

• Teach it in session first. Read the script yourself or run the guided version, and watch for anyone straining or holding their breath too long.
• Ask for daily practice for a week or two, and use the before and after ratings as a simple log. The skill grows with repetition.
• Once the long version comes easily, move to the short one, then to letting each area relax without tensing it first. That is the version a client can use in a meeting or on a train.
• Suggest it at bedtime for clients whose worry shows up as a tight jaw, shoulders or stomach.
• Use the body outline to talk about where a client tends to hold stress. Many people find one or two areas carry most of it.

Using it over telehealth

1. Share your screen and press Present mode. If you want the client to hear the tones or the voice, turn on your video platform's option to share computer sound.
2. Or read the script aloud yourself while the client watches the cues, which many clients prefer.
3. For homework, send the link. The client can turn on the spoken voice and use headphones, with their eyes closed.
4. At the end, ask for the after rating and copy the card into your notes if useful. It is never sent to us.

Progressive muscle relaxation for kids and teens

The kids version suits children from about 4 to 10. Do it with them rather than to them: squeeze your own snowballs, go stiff like a robot together, and make the letting go as floppy and silly as they like. Lying on the floor works well, and so does bedtime.

Teens usually prefer the short version with headphones and the voice on, so they can do it privately. Let them choose the version and whether to close their eyes.

Safety and comfort

• Tense firmly, but never to the point of pain.
• Skip or go very gently with any area that is injured or sore. If you have a medical condition that affects your muscles, joints or breathing, ask your doctor first.
• If a muscle starts to cramp, let go right away and stretch it gently.
• A few people feel more anxious, not less, when they first turn their attention to the body. If that happens, open your eyes, try the short version, or stop. Talking it over with a therapist can help.

Does progressive muscle relaxation work?

A review of studies on relaxation training for anxiety, including progressive muscle relaxation, found that it reduced anxiety across the studies it looked at (Manzoni and colleagues, 2008). Results vary from person to person, and regular practice matters. Think of it as a skill that gets stronger with use, not a cure on its own.

Printable progressive muscle relaxation script (PDF)

The free PDF has four pages: the long script on two pages, the short script with a one-week practice log, and the kids script on its own page to send home with a family. It is free to print and share.